From Before
by Dolphingirl32173
Summary: rating T just in case Kakashi meets a young Sakura, and this is a tale of what happened before the start of the series. Insinuated KakaSaku
1. Found in an Alley

From Before

DG32173

Sarah: here's the first of a series of books. I've got this one complete on paper; just need to type it up is all. I don't own the Naruto anime, manga, or cast. I _do_ own the plotline for this series, so don't touch.

_**!!!WARNINGS!!!**_

Blood, mentions of death, pranks; rated T for just in case.

_**SUMMARY**_

Kakashi meets a young Sakura, and this is a tale of what happened _before_ the start of the series. **_Insinuated Kaka/Saku_**

_**NOTE**_

**(Authors note)**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Scene change

**POV change**

Memory 

_Scene change in memory_

_**INDEX**_

_Akutama:_ bad people

_Dono:_ mister

_Gomen:_ sorry

_Iie:_ no

_Inu:_ dog

_-kun:_ a suffix of endearment, usually reserved for men.

_Okaa-san:_ mother

_Otou-san:_ father

* * *

Chapter 1 

Found in an Alley

"You sure you don't want to celebrate the success of the mission with us, Kakashi?" a young man of about nineteen queries. His eyes are very dark and his hair is messy and ebony in color. His hair is held up by his hitai-ate and a set of goggles are over his forehead.

A nineteen-year-old Kakashi shakes his head, smiling under his clothe mask. "Iie, liquor messes up your senses, Obito," he laughs. Obito and Rin laugh as well, then wave goodbye before turning to head into downtown Konoha.

Kakashi shakes his head in amusement and walks towards his home. After about two blocks, though, he stops in mid-step. He hears the sound of a child crying in a nearby alley. Frowning, he follows the sound and soon finds a small girl with long messy pink hair crying into her hands. She is wearing what he guesses to be a formerly red dress. But it's caked in dirt and grime. She is sitting with her legs pulled up to her chest and has her elbows propped on her knees.

Kakashi's frown deepens. He never liked seeing girls cry, especially young ones. He walks towards her, purposely making noise so as not to startle her by appearing in front of her. She completely ignores him and continues crying, long pink hair hiding her face. The shinobi kneels in front of her. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asks softly.

She looks up at him with shocked emerald eyes. She starts tearing up again and wraps her small arms around his chest as much as she can. She starts crying into his shirt. Kakashi shakes his head and gently strokes her soft hair, murmuring comforting nonsense into her ear. After a while her sobs turn to sniffles and she pulls back. "Gomen dono," she mumbles.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," he says gently. He always liked little kids. "Now, why were you crying in the first place?"

She sniffles. "I'm lost," she murmurs.

He nods gently, understanding her fear of being lost. "Where are your otou-san and okaa-san?" he asks

Her lower lip trembles, signaling more tears might come. Kakashi panics before she sighs and answers his question. "Okaa-san died when I was really little; otou-san says she died saving the village. Otou-san is always away on missions. Maki watched over me," she says.

"Maki?" Kakashi asks, confused. "Your nanny?"

The little girl giggles. "No, silly! Maki was my inu!" she says, chuckling. But her giggles quickly die down. "But Maki was killed by some akutama a year ago. They was looking for otousan. Maki hid me in the toy chest and went to scare them out. And they killed her. So it's just me."

Kakashi frowns at that. No child should be left by themselves. "What's your name?" he asks.

"Sakura," she says.

"How old are you, Sakura?" he asks.

Sakura holds up five chubby fingers. "This many," she says proudly. Then she looks at him cutely. "What's your name, dono?" she asks.

He smiles slightly behind his mask. "I'm Kakashi," he says.

Sakura scrunches her small nose. "Can I call you Kashi-kun?" she asks.

He laughs and nods. "Sure," he says. He looks up at the dark clouds. "Looks like it's going to rain, Sakura-chan," he says. He smiles at her. "Do you want to come to my place until the rain stops?" he asks. "I can take you home then."

"Okay, Kashi-kun," she says. Then she giggles as he scoops her up before standing up himself. Then he takes off for his apartment just as the rain starts.

* * *

Sarah: I hope you guys liked that. I got this first book finished on paper, I just need to type it up. Don't yell at me if I go slow though. I am also editing and adding some stuff here and there as I type it. And just so you know, even if I _do_ type it up fast, that doesn't mean I'm going to _post_ the fic fast. It depends on the reviews I get to dictate the speed I update. 


	2. Girls Know Best: a 6yearold Cures Tears

From Before

DG32173

Sarah: here's chapter 2. I don't own anything relating to the Naruto series; I just borrow from it to do with as I wish.

_**REVIEW REPLIES**_

_Haven't you seen the complete Kakashi gaiden?_ No, I haven't. I wrote this fanfic on paper when I was away from my computer so I couldn't research the finer details; and I never even heard of this 'gaiden'. But I've also seen several fanfics with older Obito and Rin that are not AU; so I assumed that they didn't leave the series when they were younger, but died at an older age. Well, I'm still going to stick with this script, as they won't show up after this chapter except maybe as being mentioned in conversation.

_I love Kakashi interacting with Sakura when they were younger!_ Me too. That's why I wrote this as the first of a mini-series of books. Another reason was because I was bored out of my mind since I was away from my computer for several weeks and I decided to write something.

_**NOTE**_

**(Authors note)**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Scene change

**POV change**

Memory 

_Scene change in memory_

_**INDEX**_

_Arigato:_ thank you

_-chan:_ suffix for a female friend

_Hai:_ yes

_Nee-chan:_ sister

_Nii-san:_ brother

_Okaa-san:_ mother

_Otou-san:_ father

* * *

Chapter 2

Girls Know Best: a 6-year-old Cures Tears

Kakashi walks with his head facing the muddy trail to Konoha's gate. Tears and blood stream down his face to fall to the mud below. He's soaked to the bone and covered with mud and blood; not all of the blood his or the enemies. "Rin… Obito… I'm so sorry," he whispers.

"Kashi-kun?" a small voice calls through the rain. "Where are Rin-nee-chan and Obito-nii-san?" Sakura asks, walking towards him. She holds her umbrella as high as she can to keep the rain off of Kakashi. Kakashi turns his face to the side in grief and shame. "Oh! I'm so sorry they dead, Kashi-kun," she says softly, hugging his waist with her small arms. She looks up, gasps, then she grins. "But Obito-nii-san left you a gift to remember them by!" she laughs, reaching up to gently stroke the wound over his left eye, which now holds the Sharingan he will soon become infamous for. Kakashi closes his eyes and lets tears fall. Sakura pulls back and puts her small hands on her hips and gives him the most annoyed look she can manage. "Don't remember how they died, Kashi-kun! They won't like that. Remember the good times, not the bad!" she admonishes him.

The thought of a six-year-old admonishing a twenty-year-old is so humorous that Kakashi has to let out a chuckle in spite of himself. He smiles warmly at her. "Arigato, Sakura-chan," he says.

She grins up at him, then tugs his wrist. "Come on, you'll get sick if you stay in those clothes!" she says, pulling him towards his apartment. He laughs and follows her. "And you need me to clean and bandage those wounds. You don't do it right! That's why you got lots of bad scars."

It only takes a few minutes to get to Kakashi's apartment building, a few more to reach the sixth floor where he lives, and another minute to get inside the small, two bedroom apartment. Sakura pushes Kakashi towards the dark blue couch; he complies and suits down on the old piece of furniture. He watches in amusement as the small girl runs down the hall. If it weren't for this sprite of a girl, he probably would of done something stupid. He thinks back to the first time he introduced Sakura to Rin and Obito.

One week after they first met

"Do you want to meet my teammates, Sakura-chan?" he asks the small girl skipping beside him as they head for the park

Sakura gives him an open-mouthed grin. "HAI!" she says gleefully.

Kakashi laughs and leads her to the picnic tables near a large pond. "Oi! Kakashi, I didn't know you had a kid!" a male voice laughs.

Sakura scrunches up her nose and gives the dark-eyed man the meanest look she can muster. "Kashi-kun isn't my otou-san! He's my bestest friend!" she yells at him. "You a stupid-head!"

Rin and Kakashi bust out laughing at the surprised and affronted look on Obito's face. Sakura grins up at Kakashi. She loves his deep, rich laugh; so she tries to make him laugh as much as possible. Once his chuckles are under control, Kakashi introduces his three friends to one another. "Guts, this is Sakura; Sakura, the guy you called 'stupid-head'," Kakashi says, chuckling at the nickname, "Is Obito, and that's Rin."

Sakura grins. "He Rin, hi stupid-head," she says cheerfully.

"Stupid head, eh?" Obito asks as he stands up, getting a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"YUP!" she yells just before running away from him. Obito gives chase. "Hehe," she giggles as she makes a sharp u-turn. Obito, being much taller than her, makes a much sloppier U-turn, using his right hand on the ground for balance. This gives Sakura an idea.

She zigzags between trees, runs under picnic tables, runs between Rin and Kakashi – who are watching this all this in visible amusement – and then makes another sharp u-turn on the dock going out into the lake. Obito's eyes widen as he falls off the dock after trying to turn too sharply. He lands with a huge splash, surfacing quickly to glare at the little girl as she, Kakashi, and Rin laugh at the stunt Sakura just pulled on him. And it had happened all in less than three minutes.

Back to present day

Kakashi sees Sakura walk in, her six-year-old arms carrying towels, dry clothes for Kakashi, the first aid kit, rolls of bandages, and a bottle of peroxide. She grins at him as she sets the stuff on the couch beside him. "Take of those dirty clothes," she orders. Kakashi smiles as he fulfills the request, leaving him in just his black boxers and mask.

With Sakura being so young, she doesn't think to blush as she crawls onto his lap to put a washcloth dipped in peroxide against the large gash going across his chest. He hisses in pain as she gently rubs the washcloth over the gash. "You're the one stupid enough to let it get infected," she says as maturely as possible as she watches the entire wound fizz like a shaken soda can. "So you gotta suffer me cleaning it." then she looks up at him thoughtfully. "Unless I take you to the hospital," she adds. Kakashi pales and shakes his head at the term hospital. "Okay then," she says, going back to nursing the wound. She rinses the wound with a damp towel, then puts the re-dipped washcloth back over the wound. "She does this several times until the fizz barely appears. Then she pulls out a needle and thread. She holds the needle to the flam of the candle in the candelabrum above the couch. She then quickly threads the needle and carefully stitches the wound on Kakashi's chest.

"How did you get so good at cleaning wounds?" he asks the six-year-old.

She grins at him. "I've had you to practice on for a year. Before that, I practiced sewing up my dolls when Maki would accidentally rip them when she brought them to me," she states happily. She wraps a bandage around his torso tightly to cover the stitches and keep the wound clean while it heals. Then she tends to a small, but deep, cut on his left shoulder. She pauses for a moment. "What's this tattoo?" she asks him.

He glances at the aforementioned tattoo and smirks. "That's an Anbu Black Ops tattoo," he informs her.

She stares at him, wide-eyed. "You're an Anbu Black Op?" she gasps. He nods. "Wow!" she exclaims. Then she pauses to think a moment. "Otou-san told me that okaa-san was in the Anbu Black Ops.

"Really?" he asks. She nods, grinning brightly.

"Yup!" she says happily, wrapping a bandage around his shoulder, down his back, and around his chest. She does that several times to make sure the bandages stay in place, then tucks the end into a fold. She looks up at him and frowns. "You need to close your eyes. There's a bad cut over the Sharingan," she says. Kakashi closes his eyes, surprised he had already forgotten about the Sharingan, despite it showing the chakra level of the young girl patching him up. She gently stitches the gash; for lack of bandages, as she used the last on his chest and shoulder, she ties his hitai-ate around his head lopsided so it falls over his Sharingan. "Your hitai-ate will be your eye-patch," she informs him maturely. "All done," she says after finding no more major wounds.

She crawls off his lap and onto the couch beside him. She leans her head onto his right side as he wraps his right arm around her small body protectively. She's the only friend he has left in the world. "Kashi-kun?" she says sleepily.

"Hm?" he says, glancing down into her sparkling emerald eyes.

"I got accepted into Ninja Academy. I start going tomorrow," she says happily.

He smiles at her. "Congratulations," he says softly. Sakura closes her eyes, mumbles a soft "arigato," and falls asleep in Kakashi's embrace. He reaches over and grabs a blanket from nearby, then drapes it over her and himself. Then he follows her example and lets sleep embrace him.

* * *

Sarah: chapter 2 complete. Hope ya'll like! Chapter 3 will be here sooner or later. Don't be impatient, or I'll just take longer before I update. Give me time to type it up and get a few chapters ahead. 


	3. Cure for Her Tears

From Before

DG32173

Sarah: here's chapter 3 of the first book of my little series here. I don't own anything relating to the Naruto series.

_**REVIEW REPLIES**_

_Any eventual Kaka/Saku?_ **(Laughs)** yeah; this series is purely 'Kaka/Saku' romance through and through. **_BUT_** this particular fic is more of love between an _extremely_ overprotective big brother and a happy-go-lucky little sister; this is just showing my opinion of what happened BEFORE the series. Thus the title: From _Before_. So this fic will end at the beginning of the actual Naruto series. But I'm glad you liked it.

_Kakashi is so nice to her._ Hehe, yep. This fic is where their future relationship starts up. Plus, it's my opinion that Kakashi likes kids; why _else_ would he be one of those Jounin teachers for genin? Surely not for the money!

_It's cool that Kakashi is open to at least one person._ Well, Sakura _is_ a little kid in this fic; she may understand adult stuff better than most her age, but she is still a child. He can open up a little easier with a child than he can a peer

_Never heard "don't be impatient or I'll just take longer to update."_**(Laughs)** well, some people don't like being rushed, but everyone likes knowing that their work is loved. I'm just one of those people who enjoy taking their time on things, like Shikamaru. I can relate to him very well; I hate being rushed, but I'm rather smart and can figure my way out of most situations. I also enjoy watching clouds like he does. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

THANKS ALL THOSE WHO REVIEWED SO FAR!

_**NOTE**_

**(Authors note)**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Scene change

**POV change**

Memory 

_Scene change in memory_

_**INDEX**_

_Arigato:_ thank you

_Hai:_ yes

_Kami-sama:_ God, Lord

_Okaa-san:_ mother

_Onegai:_ please

_Otou-san:_ father

–_sama:_ suffix of respect for someone of higher power or position

–_san:_ suffix of respect for an acquaintance.

* * *

Chapter 3

Cure for Her Tears

"Kashi-kun…," Sakura's voice reaches his ears. He instantly looks up from his book upon hearing tears in her voice. And seeing tears streaming down her porcelain face, feels a tug of protective anger at whoever caused those tears. "Is my forehead too big?" she whimpers like a kicked puppy.

Kakashi smiles. "Of course not," he assures her. "If anything, it's too small for that superb intellect of yours," he continues when he sees her smile weekly. She laughs and runs into his arms for a hug. "Now, where did you get a ridiculous idea like that?" he asks, picking her up.

"The kids at school," she says softly. "They call me 'forehead girl'."

Kakashi shakes his head in amusement and smiles at her. "Well then, tell them that you have an Anbu as a friend," he says.

"What if they don't believe me?" she asks cautiously.

He grins. "Well, I'll have to put on my Anbu uniform and pick you up from school myself," he says.

She laughs. "You'd do that, Kashi-kun?" she asks. He nods. She mock-glares at him. "Well, don't be too late then," she warns him.

Kakashi laughs. "Agreed," he chuckles.

The next afternoon

"So where is this 'Anbu' friend of yours, forehead girl?" a rude boy with brown hair and mean dark brown eyes asks Sakura.

"Right behind you," another, older voice says. The group of kids picking on Sakura whirl around and quickly back away from the Anbu behind them. Sakura grins at the man. "Ready, Sakura-chan?" he asks.

"Yup, Kashi-kun!" she says, grabbing her backpack. She laughs as he swoops her up and sets her on his shoulders. She sticks her tongue out at the kids over Kakashi's head. "Told ya!" she says happily just before Kakashi takes off for her home. Her father is supposed to be home from a mission sometime today, and Sakura wants to see him before he leaves for another one.

Sakura had told her father about Kakashi, and he'd agreed to let her stay at Kakashi's apartment while he's gone. Sakura leaps off of Kakashi's shoulders and into her fathers arms when he opens the door to their manor. "OTOU-SAN!" she yells gleefully as her father hugs her. Sakura's father raises an eyebrow at Kakashi's outfit. Sakura, upon seeing the look, quickly explains. "Some kids at school were picking on me and Kashi-kun said to tell them that I have an Anbu friend and he'd pick me up after school in his Anbu uniform," she says excitedly. "You should have _seen_ their faces, otou-san!"

Her father chuckles as Kakashi lifts his mask to grin at the older Haruno. "Arigato, Kakashi-san," he says. "After Maki was killed, I thought I'd never see Sakura smile again. But after she met you, she's so happy again. So arigato for making her happy."

Kakashi smiles warmly. "I should be the one thanking her," he says, glancing at the happy girl standing beside him. "She's quite a fun child to be around… ITAI!" he starts when Sakura kicks his leg.

"Kashi-kun!" she admonishes. "I'm _not_ a child! I'm a big girl! I'm gonna be seven in a week!"

Sakura's father and Kakashi both laugh at her statement. "That means I'm getting old," Kakashi teases. "Twenty-one in a few months."

Sakura's father smiles warmly. "Then I must be _really_ old; I'm almost thirty," he chuckles.

Sakura grins up at the two people who mean the world to her. "You aren't old until you aren't a kid in spirit," she states.

Both men laugh. "Hai, very true," her father says, grinning softly. "Your okaa-san used to say that too."

"Otou-san?" Sakura asks nervously.

"Hm?"

"Will you stay until after my birthday, onegai? The last time you were here for my birthday was when I turned three; then it was just me and Maki, then me and Kashi-kun," she says softly.

Sakura's father kneels down beside his daughter to look her in the eye and smile at her. "Alright, I'll ask Hokage-sama for some time off. Kami-sama only knows the last time I had a break," he says. Sakura squeals in joy and hugs her father.

"Arigato, otou-san! Arigato!" she yells. Kakashi just smiles and watches the scene play out before him. It's not very often that Sakura sees her father, so he'll let them have their time together.

"Kakashi-san," the older Haruno says. "Stay with us for a while; I understand that Sakura is the only company you ever get at your apartment. We have plenty of room here; stay for a while."

Sakura turns a pleading look on Kakashi. Kakashi smiles gratefully, knowing he can't possibly refute that look when it comes from Sakura. "Hai, I'll stay. Arigato, Haruno-san."

* * *

Sarah: and the end of chapter three. Next chapter was interesting to hand write, and I hope you guys find it interesting to read. 


	4. Sleepover HiJinx, part 1

From Before

DG32173

Sarah: here's chapter four! I hope you guys enjoy!

Sakura: she doesn't own anything related to the idiot's series.

Naruto: HEY!

Sasuke: she's right. You're an idiot.

Konohamaru: **(snickering)**

Naruto: **(hits Konohamaru on the head)** shut up!

_**REVIEW REPLIES**_

_how come I feel like Sakura's dad is going to die on a mission?_ Huh. I dunno, cause I don't plan on him dying in this particular fic. Maybe you're having a premonition of one of the future fics in the series; but I won't tell you if it's true or not! You'll have to wait and see! Hehe.

_I can just imagine the look on their faces when Kakashi shows up._ Hehe; yeah it's really funny, imagining such a thing. Those poor kids were probably scared to near death when they realized Sakura _does_ have a friend in the Anbu. They won't pick on her again, that's for sure.

_Sakura is so happy with Kakashi._ Well, yeah. He's been there for her as much as he possibly can. And he makes sure that she is being treated right by other kids; besides, he found her when she first got lost and helped her get home, and he's been there for her ever since.

_**NOTE**_

**(Authors note)**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Scene change

**POV change**

Memory 

_Scene change in memory_

_**INDEX**_

–_chan:_ suffix of respect for women and children

–_san:_ suffix of respect for acquaintances, usually reserved for men

* * *

Chapter 4

Sleepover Hi-Jinx, part 1

Kakashi smirks in amusement. Sakura's father, whose name he had learned is Nikiji, all but demanded Kakashi stay in the Haruno manor as a permanent guest. Kakashi was forced to agree. Now he's stuck watching over a group of three eight-year-olds and nine seven-year-olds by himself. It's astonishing how twelve kids can have _so much energy!_

Sakura had decided to hold a three day sleepover for the three days before Christmas… and the parents of her guests agreed since Kakashi is the –unwilling– supervisor. So now, twelve kids had scattered all over the Haruno manor in a game of hide-and-seek. Since two Hyuugas, an Uchiha, an Inuzuka, and an Aburame are playing, the rules are to use only your normal, natural senses. This means: no Sharingan, Byakugan, bugs, dogs, or anything outside of their natural senses to aid the seeker and hiders.

Home base, much to Kakashi's annoyance, is his bed. Sakura is the seeker now, and has come up with a brilliant strategy: hide in the air vents over Kakashi's door and wait. Since people tagged or on home base aren't allowed to aid others, her plan has worked perfectly so far. Only three kids haven't made their way to Kakashi's room yet and the eight who have all got tagged.

The victims of Sakura's strategy thus far are: Shino, Kiba, Hinata, Sasuke, Lee, Tenten, Ino, and Choji. The eight victims are off to the side of the room, betting who the next one to enter would be and who would and wouldn't get tagged. Three say that Neji will get tagged. And all are in agreement that Shikamaru _won't_ get tagged. And all but one says Naruto will get tagged.

Sakura and Kakashi hear the bets and laugh in their minds. Since Sakura is in the air vents, she can hear all over the house. She hears Neji muttering to himself. "Just stay in the tub a few more minutes, then make a break for it." She figures he's in the bathroom just up the hall from Kakashi's room.

"Man… what a drag. This game is stupid. Maybe I should let myself get tagged to get it over with faster." Obviously, Shikamaru; by the sound of it, he's downstairs in the living room heading for the stairs.

Sakura strains her ears, but can't seem to find Naruto anywhere. 'Jeez, where is he?' she wonders silently, keeping her eyes glued to the vent to make sure no one passes the door without her seeing them.

"Now, I run for it," she hears Neji mutter. She counts to three then jumps out of the vent and tags Neji. "Dang it," the Hyuuga male mutters as he goes to sit beside his cousin. Sakura quickly scrambles back up the wall to the vent and pulls the hinged vent gate up behind her.

She hears Shikamaru's slow, dragging footsteps heading towards the door. "Huh, I just might get lucky," the Nara prodigy says to himself. A few feet from the door, though, he stops and scans the walls and ceiling. Realizing why he stopped instantly, the pink-haired girl quickly and quietly slides back from the vent gate. She can now see him without him seeing her. He shrugs and continues trudging to the door. She leaps forward and down to tackle-tag him. Shikamaru glares at her but then shrugs and goes to hang with the tagged group.

Sakura turns as she hears the leaves of the plant beside Kakashi's room door rustle. Too late, Naruto is sitting on the bed. "Home!" he cheers. He sends a lopsided grin in Sakura's direction.

"How?" the seven-year-old girl gasps.

Naruto's grin widens. "Well, hid in the closet down there," he starts, pointing to a door with slanted wooden vents down the hall four meters and on the opposite side from Kakashi's room. "I hid and watched you climb into the vent. Then I watched you leap out and tag Hinata-chan, Lee-san, and Choji-san; then you climbed back into the vent after each one and I realized you strategy. You leaping out of the vent made just enough noise so you wouldn't hear me sneaking up and hiding behind closer stuff while you tag people. Then when ya tagged Neji-san, I dashed behind that big plant and waited for Shikamaru-san to show up. Jeez, you took forever, Shikamaru-san! So anyways, Sakura-chan, I waited until you tagged him and ran in to jump on the bed," Naruto says proudly; he beams after explaining his brilliant plan, which had worked surprisingly well.

Sakura realizes what a good plan it was and that it actually worked. But she is far too proud to admit that the village idiot had outsmarted her. Kakashi shakes his head in amusement, then turns back to his orange-colored book. Despite how young these children are, most of them are very bright and mature for their ages … usually. He just has to make sure they don't get into too much trouble.

"So now what?" Kiba asks, scratching Akamaru's head while holding the small pup in his arms. The twelve children all take on thoughtful looks, trying to figure out an answer to his question.

"Spin-the-bottle truth-or-dare?" Hinata suggests timidly. The others quickly agree that it would be a very fun game to play.

"Where would we get a bottle?" Shikamaru asks.

Sakura grins. 'I know where otou-san keeps empty wine bottles; we can use one of them if we don't break it," she says.

Kakashi sighs. 'This won't turn out good. I just know it,' he thinks. The twelve children and Kakashi move downstairs to the large living room, then Sakura goes to fetch an empty wine bottle.

"Who goes first?" she asks when she gets back, carefully carrying the wine bottle.

"Have him spin the bottle and whoever it lands on goes first," Naruto says, pointing at Kakashi.

"Will you, Kashi-kun? Sakura asks him. Kakashi sighs, leans over Sakura, and spins the bottle. Then he goes to a nearby recliner and gets back into his book. The bottle slows down and lands on …

* * *

Sarah: well, that's it for chapter 4. There are going to be at least two, _maybe_ three chapters about the sleepover. Hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter. Wait patiently for chapter 5! 


	5. Sleepover HiJinx, part 2

From Before

DG32173

Sarah: CHAPTER FIVE IS HERE!!! Let's get on with it!

Naruto: yeah!

Sasuke: bah.

Sakura: **(clinging to Kakashi)**

Kakashi: **(looking amused; hard to tell with his mask)** Sarah-chan doesn't own the Naruto series. Thank you, and good bye.

Sarah: Kakashi-kun!!! You need to talk more! You're so quiet all the time!

Kakashi: **(raises eyebrow)** so? I like being quiet.

Sarah: **(throws hands in air in frustration)** ugh… men are _so_ stubborn!

Sakura: agreed.

_**REVIEW REPLIES**_

_Who's Kakashi gonna kiss?_ It's not normal spin-the-bottle; it's spin-the-bottle TRUTH-OR-DARE! He only spun it to see who is the first player in it.

_**NOTE**_

**(Authors note)**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Scene change

**POV change**

Memory 

_Scene change in memory_

_**INDEX**_

–_chan:_ suffix of respect for females and children

_-san:_ suffix of respect for men and acquaintances

* * *

Chapter 5

Sleepover Hi-Jinx, part 2

The bottle slows down and lands on… "YES!" Tenten cheers. She spins the bottle. It slowly stops to land on Lee. "Truth or dare, Lee-san?"

"I shall pick the truth as one should always tell the truth!" the boy says enthusiastically.

Tenten thinks for a long moment. "Hm… if you could choose the way you die, _how_ would you die?" she asks.

Kakashi looks up from his book, also wanting to know the answer. 'Interesting question for an eight-year-old to ask or answer,' he thinks.

Lee grins gleefully, his bright teeth flashing in the light. "To die protecting Konoha and her people, of course! That's why _I'm_ gonna be a great ninja!" he says exuberantly. He spins the bottle and it lands on Sakura. "Ah! Sakura-chan! Truth or dare?"

"Truth," she says quickly. Any dares from this boy would be just plain weird, and all the others agree silently.

"How did you meet him?" Lee asks, pointing at Kakashi. The eleven children other Sakura never were told Kakashi's name, and neither Sakura nor Kakashi feel like enlightening them.

Sakura grins. "I got lost and was scared; and Kashi-kun found me and helped me home," she says. She spins the bottle and it lands on Sasuke. "Truth or dare?" she asks the ebony haired boy.

"Dare," he says instantly.

She grins. "I dare you to wear a pink dress of mine for the remainder of the game," she declares. Sasuke grimaces and glares at her while the rest of the group laugh at his expense. Even Kakashi chuckles a little. Sakura runs up the stairs at the back of the room and returns a few minutes later with the aforementioned pink dress.

Sasuke scowls, grabs it, and leaves the room for a few minutes. He returns in the dress. The sight sends everyone into fits of laughter, even Kakashi, Neji, Hinata, and Shino. The game continues with dares ranging from a kiss to Kakashi's cheek by Sakura to Choji giving up his potato chips for the night, even to Sasuke to have to dance in the dress. Sasuke makes a mental note to hurt Sakura and Naruto later on for the humiliation.

Truths range from if Sasuke likes anyone ("maybe") to the most embarrassing thing Sakura ever did ("mistook my dog's food for cereal when I was three") to the most insane stunt Naruto has ever done ("too many to name") even to if Lee will ever get his eyebrows thinned ("NEVER!"). The children keep playing the game for several hours past dark. When yawns accentuate the talking more than words, Kakashi forces them to go to bed; the eight boys camp out in the living room for the night while the four girls go to Sakura's room about ten minutes after the boys fell asleep. Who knew these boys snore, talk in their sleep, and thrash? Kakashi also retires to _his_ room three minutes before the girls leave for the same reason.

* * *

Sarah: hm… do I or don't I? A part 3 or no? Hm… such a hard choice. Eh, well, _you_ guys will find out next chapter. As for me… I gotta figure it out for myself; I didn't initially write a third part, but I'm seriously considering making one. 


	6. Sleepover HiJinx, part 3

From Before

DG32173

Sarah: well, I made my decision. I decided to go ahead and add a third part to the sleepover chapters. This will take longer than the others to type up. I have all the other chapters handwritten, I just need to type them into the computer then edit and add to them as I feel the need. This will come straight from my imagination, so don't yell if it seems different from the others; I wrote the rest up months ago when I was away from my computer

Naruto: you talk too much.

Sakura: one can say the same about _you,_ Naruto.

Naruto: HEY! WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?

Sakura: what do you think it means?

Sarah: **(sigh)** not again…

Sasuke: Sarah-chan doesn't own the dobe's series.

_**REVIEW REPLIES**_

_What kind of relationship is Kakashi and Sakura in?_ Well, Sakura's still young, so it's more like a very close friends right now. Next fic will be where fluffiness comes in.

_**NOTE**_

**(Authors note)**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Scene change

**POV change**

Memory 

_Scene change in memory_

_**INDEX**_

–_chan:_ suffix of respect for females and children

* * *

Chapter 6

Sleepover Hi-Jinx, part 3

Sakura giggles softly. "Ready?" she whispers to the other three girls.

"Yeah," Ino murmurs.

"Uh-huh!" Tenten says softly. Hinata nods, smiling shyly.

All four girls look like cats that just got into catnip. They have magic markers, whip cream, honey, syrup, silly-string, and toothpaste sitting on the floor between them. The four girls are in the kitchen, and it's nearly one in the morning. Everyone else, including Kakashi, is asleep. Kakashi upstairs in his rooms, the boys in the living room. Kakashi had _tried_ to sleep on the couch, but many of the boys snore or talk in their sleep; seeing as he'd get no sleep downstairs, he had retreated upstairs to his room around eleven.

The girls had been faking sleep, waiting until the others were asleep and another hour and a half until they were sure Kakashi wouldn't come back downstairs. Then they had quickly gathered their supplies, preparing for a late night surprise. It's the final night of the sleepover; in about ten hours, the parents will start dropping by for their kids. The girls decided to give the boys a little 'see-ya-soon' gift.

"Let's go! And quietly, no noise. We can't let them wake up and catch us," Ino says softly. The other three girls nod, gather up their supplies, and sneak into the living room to wreck havoc on their sleeping victims. Each girl had picked out two guys to lay their trick on; making sure it's not someone they like of course. Sakura had chosen Lee and Neji; Ino chose Naruto and Kiba; Tenten got Sasuke and Shikamaru; while Hinata got Choji and Shino.

First, we'll start with Sakura. She sneaks up to Neji first. She never really liked the older boy; he's much too bossy and an 'I-know-more-than-you' kid. First, she uses a pink magic marker to paint pretty roses on his left cheek, using a green magic marker for the stem and petals. Then she puts honey over both eyelashes, and syrup on his eyelids. Neji gets a toothpaste mustache and a whipped-cream beard. On his right cheek, Sakura makes squiggly designs with blue silly-string.

She moves onto Lee and smothers a giggle. She gently puts syrup around the edges of his eyebrows; honey makes him a beard, sideburns, and mustache. With a sky blue magic marker, she writes "green goof" on his cheeks, with green on his right cheek and goof on his left. Silly-string is used to make his nose longer, and she goes a little wild and puts some in his hair. Then she gives him toothpaste fangs.

On to Ino. She pours syrup over Naruto's eyes, honey over his forehead, and toothpaste on his whisker-like birthmarks. She writes "I'm an idiot" on his forehead with a bright red magic marker. She gives Naruto a silly-string beard and mustache; and puts whipped cream in both his hands, and a bit of honey to top the whipped cream.

Ino decides Kiba needs a little lesson taught. He had tried to steal her favorite belt-pouch a few days back. She uses silly-string and outlines his red tattoo triangles. Then she fills the right outline with syrup, and the left with honey. She gives him a whipped cream beard, puts honey over his lips, and colors a butterfly on his forehead.

Hinata carefully outlines the swirls on Choji's cheeks with honey and syrup; puts whipped cream all over his nose and lips, silly-string designs on his forehead, and a cute smiley face on his chin. Turning to Shino, she pauses in thought, wondering what she should do on him. He sleeps with his sunglasses off to one side off him. She smiles and puts whipped cream on his eyelids, honey on his lips, syrup beard, and silly-string crown. On a last thought, she gives him a toothpaste and magic marker bug underneath the crown.

Tenten grins mischievously as she puts honey on Sasuke's cheeks, syrup on his eyelids, whipped cream on the tip of his nose, and draws a bull's-eye target on his forehead. She puts whipped cream in his left hand, toothpaste kunai near the bull's-eye, and silly-string to outline his face. Turning to Shikamaru, she smirks. She has some old grudges to repay on this boy. She pours honey and syrup across his eyes; whipped cream on his forehead, nose, and chin; toothpaste around his eyes; and uses a bright red magic marker to give him lipstick.

Their tasks complete, the girls whip out cameras and start taking hundreds of photos. They sneak upstairs, put the photos in a large box, and hide the box in the back of Sakura's closet for later retrieval. Day after tomorrow, they will post copies of the photos all over Konoha. Then the girls shut and lock Sakura's bedroom door, lay down their sleeping mats, and go to sleep.

Eight the next morning

Kakashi is scared into consciousness by eight male screams of outrage. He leaps out of bed, puts on a shirt and pair of pants, and quickly heads to the living room to see what's up. Upon reaching the bottom landing of the stairs, he freezes, hiding his laughter as best he can. All eight boys have had lovely pranks played on them during the night; by the way the pranks are done and what with, everyone can guess who the culprits are. Thankfully, the four culprits aren't down there right now, or they'd be dead.

Four yawns behind him signals that the four culprits are up; Kakashi turns to see how the girls are faring. "What's all the yelling?" Sakura mumbles, half-asleep. "You boys can wake the dead."

"Too … early," Tenten mumbles, leaning against Ino, just barely awake. Ino is leaning against Tenten in return, in the same state of consciousness. Hinata is slumped on the ground near the wall, completely asleep

"YOU GIRLS PRANKED US LAST NIGHT!" Naruto screeches in outrage.

Ino cracks open one hazy cerulean eye. "What ya talking 'bout?" she asks drowsily.

"We were all in Sakura-chan's room. You boys snore and talk in your sleep," Tenten says bluntly, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "We couldn't get any sleep down here so we left!"

"Well, you guys do look a little funny," Sakura says while yawning. "But _we_ had nothing to do with it."

The boys glance suspiciously at Kakashi. "I went to my room before they left," the Jounin states flatly. "One would need to be deaf _and_ have earplugs to sleep anywhere _near_ you lot."

The girls snicker at the upset and affronted faces of the eight boys. "H-he's r-right …," Hinata speaks up timidly, stopping and blushing when all eyes are turned on her.

"I had trouble sleeping my room, upstairs on the other side of the manor! You guys are so loud!" Sakura states. "Next time I invite you guys for sleepovers, I'm gonna get lots of socks and stuff them down your mouths while you sleep. Then _we_ might get some decent sleep."

"Well, you boys better get cleaned up. Your parents will start arriving in a few hours, and it may take a while to get that mess off of yourselves," Kakashi says. "Oh, and have a merry Christmas tomorrow," he says before heading back to his room, intent on getting a little bit more rest.

Two days later

"SHIKAMARU! CHOJI! SASUKE! LEE! NEJI! SHINO! KIBA! YOU GUYS BETTER LOOK AT THIS!" Naruto yells loudly, zipping through the park.

The seven other boys look up to see Naruto clutching several very large posters and running their way. "What is it, now?" Shikamaru asks when the boy draws closer. Instead of answering, the breathless blonde holds up the posters while he ants. The other seven look over the posters and pale drastically. Pictures of what they had looked like asleep with the magic marker, honey, syrup, and stuff on their faces from the other night cover each of the posters in different layouts.

"Oh Kami-sama," Kiba gasps.

"This is bad!" Lee states.

"Very," Neji and Sasuke say simultaneously.

"This is so troublesome," Shikamaru sighs.

"Those girls _did_ do this! We have to get back at them somehow!" Kiba growls.

"Kiba, I like your spirit, but these aren't ordinary school girls. They're kunoichi-in-training," Shikamaru says. "It will be hard to get a good revenge on kunoichi…," he starts, then he smirks. "But, we can hold onto these posters for a while and come up with some nasty pranks later on when we're a bit older and know a bit more about them." The other boys stare at him, then smirk, and finally nod in agreement to the plan. "We better scour the village to find all the posters. We can't let too many people see this pictures if we can help it." The boys split up and do exactly that, finding posters in all the likely and many unlikely places. Shino's bugs and Naruto had seen a few in the women's bathrooms and hot springs, but not one of the boys are brave enough to venture into women's territory, even if it _is_ to retrieve humiliating posters.

* * *

Sarah: **(evil grin)** hehe. These boys are going to have fun in the future with their revenge for that prank. Well, that's the end of the 'sleepover hi-jinx' chapters. No, payback won't be in this particular fic. 


	7. A Quiet Evening Together & a Promise

From Before

DG32173

Sarah: here's chapter seven. I'm going fast! Yay for me.

Sakura: Sarah-chan doesn't own Naruto's series.

_**NOTE**_

**(Authors note)**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Scene change

**POV change**

Memory 

_Scene change in memory_

_**INDEX**_

_Aishiteru:_ I love you

–_chan:_ suffix of respect for females and children

* * *

Chapter 7

A Quiet Evening Together & a Promise

Sakura sighs happily as she snuggles closer to Kakashi. It's been several weeks since the sleepover, and all four girls are still chuckling about their prank on the boys. "Kashi-kun?" she says softly. They are on a leather loveseat in the miniature library, a fire lit in the fireplace a few feet in front of them; Sakura is snuggled by Kakashi's side and is half asleep while Kakashi is watching the flames dance.

"Hm?" he mumbles, looking down at her.

"Aishiteru," she murmurs. Kakashi smiles and holds the seven-year-old a bit closer to his side. He knows she means she loves him as an extremely close friend. He cares for her in a manner not quite so innocent. She thinks his love is the same manner as hers, and he won't tell her any different.

Unknown to the two in the loveseat, Nikiji is watching then from the library doorway, out of their sight. The elder Haruno shakes his head. He knows of Kakashi's affections for his young daughter. He certainly approves, but is grateful that Kakashi doesn't tell Sakura as of yet, seeing as she's still so young. When the time is right, he'll give them each a nudge in the right direction.

Back in the library, Sakura blinks her eyes as she looks up at Kakashi. "Do you love me?" she queries.

He laughs softly. "You know I do," he says, smiling at her.

She smiles blissfully. "Then when I'm a grown up, can we marry?" she asks innocently.

Kakashi smiles softly at her. "If you still wish to, then yes," he says warmly.

"Oh, I will!" she exclaims passionately. She hugs Kakashi around the waist while he places an arm around her back to hold her even closer. Slowly, her eyes close halfway, her head drops onto Kakashi's chest, and she stares into the blazing fire. He starts stroking his hand through her long pink locks. The combination of the mesmerizing flames and Kakashi's fingers running through her hair slowly lulls the young girl to sleep. Kakashi soon follows her example.

Nikiji slips in and puts a blanket around the two, douses the fire, and leaves the room again. Pausing at the doorway, he looks back at the peaceful seen of his daughter curled against Kakashi, and smiles softly. "Keep your promise, Kakashi-san," he murmurs before heading for his room to turn in for the night.

* * *

Sarah: okay, not much happened in this chapter, but it _is_ an important chapter. The reason will become clear in the future of this series, so I won't ruin the surprise by saying it. You can guess on why it's important if you want, but I won't tell you if you were right or wrong. You'll have to be patient and wait for the upcoming chapters and books. 


	8. Afternoon Interrupted

From Before

DG32173

Sarah: chapter eight! Yay-ness!

Naruto: WHEN DO I COME IN AGAIN?

Sarah: soon enough, dumbass. Just be patient.

Sasuke: he doesn't _know_ what patience is.

Sarah: oh. Yeah. I forgot.

Naruto: UGH! BRING ME BACK IN SOON!!!

Sakura: **(hits Naruto on top of the head, knocking him to the ground)** SHUT UP, BAKA! **(turns to readers)** Sarah-chan doesn't own anything from the moron's series.

_**REVIEW REPLIES**_

_It's too short!_ --- well, I warned ya'll the last chapter would be short. And no, last chapter's meaning will not come out in this chapter. It'll be mentioned in one of the upcoming ones, but then it won't be mentioned again until deep into the next book of this series.

_Kaka/Saku fluff is the best in the world!_ --- Hehe, I agree totally. I love most pairings that involve Sakura, but I love Kaka/Saku most of all. But I really hate Sasu/Saku pairings. I prefer Sasu/Naru or Sasu/OC. That's about all I like when it comes to Sasuke pairings.

_**NOTE**_

**(Authors note)**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Scene change

**POV change**

Memory 

_Scene change in memory_

_**INDEX**_

_Baka:_ stupid, idiot, moron

–_chan:_ suffix of respect for females and children

* * *

Chapter 8

Afternoon Interrupted

Sakura laughs as she chases a butterfly around a tree. She is now nine years old and has become more hyper than ever. Kakashi watches her in amusement from his perch in the tree she is circling, reading his Icha Icha Paradise while keeping a close eye on the young girl and an ear out for danger.

Sakura spots something in the distance and stops chasing her butterfly, which flies away. She squints her emerald eyes to try to make out the rapidly approaching blur. She recognizes the uniform and her smile falls instantly. "Kashi-kun, a messenger-nin is coming!" she calls up the tree, pointing towards the blur.

Kakashi closes his book and leaps down to stand beside Sakura to await the approaching ninja. The young messenger pulls to a stop in front of them. "Kakashi-san, Hokage-sama has a mission for an Anbu squad and wishes for you to lead it," he says.

By now, all of Konoha knows that when it comes to telling Kakashi something, just let Sakura stick around and hear it too. It would cause too much of a hassle to _try_ to get Sakura to willingly leave Kakashi, and a waste of time and energy. When Kakashi is in Konoha, Sakura is always within earshot and eye-range of the Copy Nin. She would _never_ leave his side unless she's forcibly dragged away or he tells her to. And dragging this particular nine-year-old academy student anywhere that Kakashi isn't … well, it's like trying to get Naruto to stop goofing off for a whole week: pointless, useless, and near impossible.

"How long will Kashi-kun be gone?" Sakura asks softly.

"I was only informed that Kakashi-san is needed to lead a very important mission and to bring him to Hokage-sama," the messenger says.

Kakashi kneels beside Sakura. "I'll let you know first thing when I get back, I promise," he says softly.

"Okay, Kashi-kun," Sakura says, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulls back and looks him in the eye. "Don't come back in pieces, Kashi-kun. I don't have any needles left," she warns him. "I don't have time to buy any, and won't for a while."

Kakashi and the messenger laugh as Kakashi stands up. "I'll try my best not to, I don't like seeing my own blood," he says teasingly.

As Kakashi and the messenger take off, Sakura waves after them. "Bye Kashi-kun! Take care!" she calls, smiling brightly. Kakashi waves over his shoulder just before disappearing from sight. Sakura's smile fades as she plops onto the ground. "I'll miss you Kashi-kun. Don't get hurt too much and come home soon," she whispers into the wind. She shakes her head. She's used to her father and Kakashi being called away for missions, but that doesn't mean she has to like them leaving her behind.

After a few minutes, she wipes off her tears and stands up. She brushes the dust off the back of her shorts. She scuffs the dirt with her sandal before heading for her home. Her afternoon with Kakashi has been effectively ruined. "Baka Hokage-sama, interrupting Kashi-kun and my afternoon together," she mumbles, kicking a rock as she walks down the streets.

"Hey! Sakura-chan!" a loud voice yells out from behind her. She stiffens; she doesn't want to deal with Naruto right now. But she stops, turns, and waits for the blonde. He looks around in surprise. "Hey! Where's that guy you always hang with?" he asks in disbelief. It is extremely rare to find Sakura without Kakashi somewhere very nearby, playing protective big brother.

Sakura sticks out her lower lip in a cute pout. "Hokage-sama called him to send him on some dumb mission," she says softly.

Naruto wrinkles up his nose. "Bah!" he says loudly. "That baka geezer!"

Sakura giggles.. Naruto had said almost exactly what she had been thinking. But … "Hokage-sama is in charge of all the village, Naruto!" she says. "We should respect him."

Naruto grins. _"That's_ why I'm gonna be Hokage!" he cheers. "So everyone will have to respect me and not make fun of me anymore!"

Sakura giggles some more. "Want to get some ramen?" she offers, grinning brightly. She already knows the answer will be …

"YEAH!" Naruto yells.

"Then let's go in," she says, motioning to the Ichiraku Ramen stand they are standing beside. Naruto darts in, Sakura on his heals. 'That goof,' she thinks as they order their first round of ramen. 'He's such a happy kid, he makes everyone else happy.'

* * *

Sarah: well, another chapter complete. Jeez, I'm zipping right through typing these up. Eight chapters in just two days time, since I started typing the first chapter.

Naruto: YAAAAAAAAY! I SHOWED UP IN THIS CHAPTER!

Sarah: shut up, Naruto. **(to readers)** There are only three chapters left for this fic, everyone. So REVIEW! And I'll update again soon … maybe.


	9. He Returns

From Before

DG32173

Sarah: here's chapter 9 of this fic. I hope you all enjoy it!

Kakashi: she doesn't own Naruto's series.

_**REVIEW REPLIES**_

_Why only three chapters?_ Because I don't feel like writing through the series, so I stop this book in three chapters.

_I wish you'd make a sequel._ Geez, didn't you read the notes in the first chapter? I _SAID_ that this is book one of a multi-book series. I already intended on making a sequel, then maybe a sequel to that. I know there are gonna be at least two books to this series. Please pay more attention to ending AND beginning notes. You wouldn't have needed to ask if you had. Sorry to be rough about it, but it's extremely annoying for people to ask me something that I'd already given the answer of.

_Please maybe make the chapters longer._ Well, they're as short as they are because I wrote it on paper, and the chapters took up much more paper than it did pages on my computer. I'm not altering it though. There will be very short chapters throughout the whole series, just because they are about very specific events and those events won't take much space.

_Story line and character interaction aren't very believable._ Well, I wrote this out of sheer boredom when I was away from my computer so it's bound to be somewhat pathetic. Next book will be much better.

_I would be younger Naruto's best friend if I were there._ Hehe, my thoughts exactly.

_**NOTE**_

**(Authors note)**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Scene change

**POV change**

Memory 

_Scene change in memory_

_**INDEX**_

_Baka:_ stupid, idiot, moron

–_chan:_ suffix of respect for females and children

_Gomen:_ sorry

* * *

Chapter 9

He Returns

Kakashi glares at the clouds pouring rain on him and his squad. 'It _always_ rains when I come back from a mission,' he thinks. "Go on ahead and report," he says to the other Anbu. "I'll catch up later," he continues as their emotionless masks watch him. Behind two masks, one of an Anbu and one of clothe, Kakashi grins. His teammates nod and leap off as he walks lazily through the rain and mud.

Upon reaching the gate, he sees a familiar pink and red umbrella keeping rain off its wielder. A red raincoat and red rain boots complete the ensemble. "YOU'RE LATE!" a familiar, yet older, feminine voice yells at him.

He laughs. "Gomen, Sakura-chan," he says "I got lost on the way and had to ask for directions," he teases.

Laughter is heard from under the protection of the umbrella. "You liar. Get under this umbrella so you don't get any more soaked."

"Hai, hai. But I highly doubt that I _can_ get any wetter," he says, plucking the umbrella from Sakura's hand.

"You missed my tenth _and_ eleventh birthdays! What could possibly make a mission take two _years?"_ she asks. She stands a good four inches taller than when he last saw her, and her hair is tied in a low ponytail that falls to her waist.

Kakashi shakes his head. "Not allowed to tell," he says.

She nods in understanding. "You can at least tell me how it went," she says.

"Long, boring, and messy. But successful," he replies, joining in her laughter at the statement.

"Of course," Sakura says, smiling at him. "Come on then, lets get you dried up," she says. She plucks the umbrella back from his hand while he laughs. They head to the apartment Sakura's father had purchased for Kakashi a month before Kakashi left, despite the protests that it will be a waste.

Sakura pulls a keychain out of her pocket and unlocks the apartment door. Kakashi raises an eyebrow at that. 'When'd she get a key to my apartment?' he wonders silently.

She pushes the door open and flips on the light. She takes the umbrella, their coats, and their shoes and sets them behind the door. She looks up at him. "Shirt and pants off, you," she orders. He complies, knowing she won't be happy when they are off. "KASHI-KUN! You promised you'd be careful!" she screeches upon seeing all the new scars.

"Eh-heh-heh," he says, nervously rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Oops?"

Sakura shakes her head and sighs. "What the hell did you do? No. wait, don't answer that. Let me guess. You got careless because of you gig macho ego and you paid for it with a bunch of new battle scars," she says, sighing again when he nods sheepishly. "What am I to do with you?"

"Love me!" he chirps teasingly. Sakura laughs.

"Besides that," she chuckles. Kakashi grins. He's surprised when two strong arms wrap fiercely around his waist. "I missed you, Kashi-kun," she murmurs into his chest. Kakashi's grin turns to a soft smile as he wraps his arms around her in return, letting his actions tell her that he missed her as well.

* * *

Sarah: that's it for chapter nine. I hope you all enjoyed it!

Naruto: **(scrunches nose)** bah! Too much fluff! And I wasn't in it! I don't like it!

Sarah: I was talking to the readers, baka! I don't care if you don't like it. This is a Sakura/Kakashi fanfic, so _you_ won't be showing up much until the next book.

Naruto: WHAT?! THAT'S INSANE!

Sakura: Naruto, shut up.

Sarah: Naruto, this is a fic about _before_ your series started, focusing almost entirely on Sakura and Kakashi. **(To readers)** I've got just two more chapters to go for this fanfic. Bye now!


	10. Seriously Jealous

From Before

DG32173

Sarah: chapter 10! Yay! I haven't gotten this far on any fanfic before! YAAAAY! Well, I want to get to the chapter fast, so I don't own anything relating to the Naruto series, I just own my fanfic here and my ideas. Don't steal my ideas!

_**REVIEW REPLIES**_

_I bet Kakashi hated being gone for two years._ I agree completely.

_So sad chibi Sakura is gone, but that means oncoming relationship!_ Well, the relationship won't really kick off until several chapters into the sequel to this fic.

Oh, and GaaraLovesSakura, sorry about upsetting you. I just get really upset when people ask questions I've given answer for. And I was in an icky mood when I was writing the review replies for last chapter, so that didn't help much.

_**NOTE**_

**(Authors note)**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Scene change

**POV change**

Memory 

_Scene change in memory_

_**INDEX**_

_Hai:_ yes, yeah

_Otou-san:_ father

–_sama:_ suffix of respect for someone older or of higher power than you

–_sensei, sensei:_ teacher

* * *

Chapter 10

Seriously Jealous

Kakashi watches with a scowl as Sakura starts yelling at Ino about who liked "Sasuke-kun" more. They are both twelve, and preteen girl hormones are running rampant in their blood stream. He turns back to his Icha Icha, trying to tune out the yelling match. Which is rather hard since they are unknowingly right under the tree he's perched in.

A few minutes later, he sighs in frustration and snaps the book close. With a disgusted glance at the bickering girls, he takes off for a tree further away. He knows he shouldn't be jealous of a twelve-year-old, but he is. He's jealous because Sakura likes the boy as "more than a friend". He sighs, running a hand through his silver hair. He settles on a new branch, staring at the sky peeking through the leaves of higher branches. And he starts to daydream about Sakura …

With Sakura and Ino

The two girls watch in amusement as Kakashi takes off for another tree. "Okay, he's _so_ jealous!" Ino laughs.

Sakura grins. "It's just _too_ easy," she crows. "So, we know he likes me and obviously I like him. But…," she continues, trailing off.

"There's a _big_ age difference," Ino continues for her friend. Of course they're friends, they only argue over Sasuke when eavesdroppers and gossipers are around. And Naruto. They can't let Naruto know because, next to Ino, he's the biggest blabbermouth in Konoha. And any blabbermouth _can_ keep their own secrets, just not other people's secrets. Neither girl likes Sasuke in the least; they both think he's a stuck-up jerk. Ino is really much more interested in Shikamaru than she acts, while Sakura is in love with Kakashi.

"How long do I have to wait to tell him, Ino?" Sakura asks, plopping lazily onto the ground.

Ino sighs and runs a hand through her long blonde hair. "Does your otou-san know?" she asks.

Sakura wrinkles her nose. "Of course he does. Otou-san somehow knows everything about me, even my secrets," she replies.

Ino smiles in amusement. "Then ask him to help you out," she suggests.

Sakura snorts. "Oh, sure. 'Otou-san, I like Kashi-kun but don't know when or how to tell him,'" she says in a mocking voice. Then she sighs. "Guys aren't good at that sort of stuff. They hide their feelings too much."

"Oh…yeah," Ino mutters, sighing. "Hey, didn't you get him to promise to marry you when you grow up?" she asks, brightening up.

Sakura grins. "Oh yeah! He said 'if you still wish to, then yes.' How could I have forgotten?" she says.

Ino giggles. "We were seven, silly. It was five years ago," she chuckles.

Sakura looks at the ground. "If _I_ forgot, he must have forgotten too," she sighs sadly.

Ino bops her friend on the head. "Of course he would _NOT_ forget a promise like that!" she scolds Sakura. "Don't say such absurd things!"

Sakura rubs her head and grins sheepishly at Ino. "Yeah, you're right, Ino-chan," she says. "Kashi-kun would _never_ forget something _that_ important!"

"That's right!" Ino says triumphantly. "Hey, didn't Iruka-sensei say that we'll get in Genin groups with a Jounin sensei?" she asks suddenly.

"Yeah, why?" Sakura asks curiously.

"I got an idea!" Ino says grinning. Se whispers something in Sakura's ea that causes the pink-haired girl to giggle. "It'll work!" Ino says excitedly. "We just need to get Hokage-sama to agree, ne?"

"Hai!" Sakura says, standing up. "I know a way to get Hokage-sama to agree instantly!" she says. Ino stands up and they take off for the Hokage's office to initiate their plan, whatever it may be.

* * *

Sarah: okay! just one chapter to go before this fic is complete! REVIEW! 


	11. The Plan, Results, and a Secret

From Before

DG32173

Sarah: final chapter is here! This is going to be the longest of all the chapters, so be happy.

Genma: **(looking at some papers)** this is the final chapter?

Sarah: I just said that. **(Grabs papers from Genma)** no peeking, Genma-kun. You'll have to wait and see it along with everyone else.

Sasuke: bah. About time this story ends.

Sarah: hehe, well, this one may end. But there are more to come in this fic series, Sasuke-kun.

Sasuke: **(sighs in annoyance)**

Naruto: Sarah-chan doesn't own my series!

_**NOTE**_

**(Authors note)**

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Scene change

**POV change**

Memory 

_Scene change in memory_

_**INDEX**_

_Baka:_ idiot

–_chan:_ a suffix of respect for females and children

_Kitsune:_ fox

_Koi:_ love, beloved

_Okaa-san:_ mother

_Otou-san:_ father

–_sama:_ suffix of respect for someone older or of higher power than you

–_san:_ suffix of respect for men and acquaintances.

_Youkai:_ demon

* * *

Chapter 11

The Plan, Results, and a Secret

"Please, Hokage-sama! Please do this one teensy favor, please!" Sakura and Ino beg, giving the old Hokage the best pleading puppy faces they can make … which is pretty convincing considering they've had years of practice.

"And _why_ should I do this?" the old man asks grumpily.

Sakura speaks up to answer. "Because our families have served the village for generations and have lost many lives protecting it. One small favor after all that servitude and sacrifice shouldn't be too much to ask for," she adds with a wink. Here comes the part that the Hokage will _have_ to agree to. "I'll try to teach Naruto to behave if you do!"

Sarutobi sighs. "Fine," he mutters.

The two girls hug him. "Arigato Hokage-sama!" they chorus. Then they run off to treat themselves for the successful plan beginning.

"Ugh, this generation of ninja is more trouble than it's worth," he mutters before turning back to his paperwork. He had long known the feelings between Sakura and Kakashi. But since her father approved, he wouldn't step in the way. But _why_ would she ask for Naruto and Sasuke on the same team as her _and_ have Kakashi as the Jounin teacher? She knows that Sasuke and Naruto would _never_ get along and she knows _personally_ Kakashi's record with students. And for Ino to request Shikamaru and Choji on her team? 'Whatever those two are planning, I doubt I'll want to know,' he thinks. 'I'm already more involved than I want to be.'

With Sakura and Ino a few hours later

Ino is spending the night at Sakura's house, and they are discussing their plan in her room. "It was _so_ easy to get Hokage-sama to agree!" Sakura gloats.

Ino laughs. "Mention Naruto and he'll do anything!" she agrees. "He really spoils that baka."

Sakura giggles. "Well, he's got no folks, so someone has to look after his hide, or he'd have done something _really_ stupid by now," she says.

Ino chuckles. "Hokage-sama and Iruka-sensei decided they'd look out for him for some reason or other."

Sakura stops giggling suddenly at a thought. "Why _doesn't_ Naruto have folks? And why don't most of the adults like him? He's a pretty nice kid, if you ignore the goofiness," she says. "Bet ya he acts stupid just to get some form of attention."

Ino pauses to think. "Yeah, I bet you're right. But what happened to his folks?" she murmurs.

"And why don't most of the adults like him?" Sakura continues. "Otou-san, Kashi-kun, Hokage-sama, and Iruka-sensei seem to be the only adults who like him."

"Don't forget Nana, his landlady. She basically raised him like a grandma would an orphaned grandkid," Ino points out.

"Maybe we should ask otou-san about it," Sakura suggests. Ino nods and the two girls go looking for Sakura's father. They find him in the library, reading a novel. "Otou-san? Can we ask you something?" Sakura calls to him.

Nikiji looks up. "Hai, what's bothering you?" he asks, marking his page and setting his book on the table beside him.

The girls move from the doorway and sit on the floor in front of him. "Haruno-san, why doesn't Naruto have parents? And why does almost everyone treat him bad? If they were nicer to him, I'd bet he'd be a good kid," Ino says softly.

Nikiji looks thoughtful. "Well, twelve years ago, when you two were just a few months old, a powerful and wicked kitsune youkai attacked the village. It had nine long tails that whipped up tornados, brought on tsunamis and hurricanes more powerful than ever seen before. It's roar brought on powerful winds and when it moved, terrible earthquakes occurred.

"Many ninja died fighting it, including your okaa-san, Sakura, and Naruto's parents. Then the Yondaime came up with a plan to stop the beast. By sacrificing his life, he sealed the demon into a newborn baby boy …"

"Naruto," Ino and Sakura whisper.

Nikiji nods. "Hai, Naruto. That is why the villagers hate him. They fear that the fox would overpower him and break free. But the Yondaime's last wish was that Naruto be thought a hero for holding the beast in him. That wish has not been fulfilled, sadly. The villagers cannot see past the fact that he holds the nine-tailed fox that tried to destroy our village. So when the third took power as Hokage again, he made it a law that no child of then or in the future is to know of the fox spirit Naruto carries."

"But, otou-san, why are you telling us then?" Sakura queries.

Nikiji smiles at his daughter and her best friend. "Because you two are his friends, and don't you dare deny the truth," he says. They both blush, that's exactly what they were about to do. "Do you girls want to know a secret? _Very_ few people know it and you _must not tell anyone."_

Sakura and Ino feel their eyes widen. A _big_ secret? It had to be, or he wouldn't have stressed the words he had. They look at each other, then nod at Nikiji. He grins. "I knew Naruto's father. Everyone did. But very, _very_ few _know_ he was Naruto's father. Or they might have treated Naruto very differently. His father was the Yondaime himself."

Ino and Sakura grin. "I _knew_ they were related," Ino tells Sakura. Nikiji raises an eyebrow. "Me and Sakura were looking at a book with pictures of the Hokages once."

"And we found one of the Yondaime when he was a teenager. We thought Naruto had somehow messed with it case they look _so_ much alike," Sakura continues.

"But when we realized that it _was_ the Yondaime, we just knew they _had_ to be related somehow. We just never thought that the Yondaime was Naruto's otou-san," Ino interrupts.

Nikiji laughs. "I guess you girls _can_ keep some secrets," he teases. The girls just stick their tongues out at him. "It's getting late, and you girls find out your genin groups tomorrow. Time for bed. And girls," he says. They look at him from the doorway. "I know what you girls did at the Hokage's office today." They pale. "But I won't tell. Now off to bed."

"G'night otou-san! And thanks!" Sakura says.

"G'night and arigato, Haruno-san!" Ino says.

"Good night, girls," he laughs.

He shakes his head when he's sure they're upstairs. He looks at the portrait above the large library fireplace. In it are a younger Nikiji, his black hair tied up in a long ponytail and emerald eyes shining brightly, with his arms around the waist of a beautiful pink-haired woman with delighted emerald green eyes with a sleeping baby girl with a pink tuft of hair in the woman's arms. "She's just like you, koi, when you were young. So mischievous, charming, and intelligent. Not to mention beautiful," he says to the woman in the painting. "She's becoming more like you everyday. Watch over her, Simari, and keep our daughter safe."

Next day after all the other groups left with their teachers –with Kakashi–

"Hm, Sakura-chan, Naruto, and Sasuke, eh?' Kakashi thinks as he leans against the wall around the corner from the classroom where his students are waiting he thinks back to the _way_ outdated milk carton he had found on Naruto's table earlier. 'Great. This is gonna be hell,' he thinks as he listens in on Naruto's prank. "Eraser in the door? _Again?_ Jeez, this is getting old. Can't they come up with something original? Like a … I dunno, an eraser on the floor for me to trip … er, stumble over,' he thinks with a sigh. 'Ah, might as well go in there. Those boys most likely don't remember me, last time we met was… five years ago at that baka sleepover. Sakura-chan better be damned good at acting.'

He sighs; resigning himself to his fate, he steps through the door and lets the eraser hit his head.

"HAHAHAHA! You fell for it!" Naruto laughs, pointing at him.

"I'm so sorry, sensei, I tried to stop him but Naruto …"

'Ah so she _can_ act.' "Hmm… how can I say this …? My first impression is …"

* * *

Sarah: hehe! We all know what happens from here, so I'll cut it off there. The last chapter of this fic is complete! REVIEW! Tell me how you think it turned out! Hehe, this is only … um, I believe the second fanfic I have completed! Well, I'm off to type up the next book. Keep an eye out for it. It will be called: To Forever. And it will start when Sakura and the others are seventeen and Kakashi's thirty-one. BYE! 


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